The Summer of Broken Rules

Gr 9 Up–It’s the summer after senior year, and Meredith is traveling to Martha’s Vineyard for her cousin’s wedding. She’s just been dumped and is nervous about her first trip to the family farm since the death of her sister, Claire, 18 months ago. Meredith can’t go anywhere on the island without being reminded of her sister, but she is determined to use her grief to propel her to victory in the annual game of Assassin in Claire’s honor. However, an alliance-turned-budding romance with a charming groomsman threatens to complicate things. While most teens won’t be able to relate to the wealth and lifestyle of the close-knit and quirky Fox family, this book is nonetheless an engaging read. The high-stakes and often humorous drama of Assassin helps frame the story and move the plot along, and the moments of grief, while numerous, don’t feel too heavy. The Fox family presents as white (Meredith has light hair and green eyes) and there are some passing mentions of secondary characters of color, such as Michael, the groom with Creole roots, and Luli, a friend adopted from Central America.